After missing six-straight games with a knee issue, third-year forward Jonathan Kuminga has made an explosive and successful return for the Golden State Warriors in their 118-110 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
Kuminga played just over 27 minutes off the bench, showing no signs of the knee injury as he repeatedly exploded to the basket in a way only he knows how. The 21-year-old had 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, shooting 9-of-11 from the floor as part of an efficient Warrior offense.
Klay Thompson exploded for 32 points and Jonathan Kuminga made an excellent return in a comfortable win for the Golden State Warriors
Following a 10-6 Jazz start that led to a fiery teammate from Steve Kerr, predicted programming resumed for the hosts who poured in 41 points to take a 13-point lead after the opening period.
Klay Thompson was the chief destroyer in the first-half, with the 34-year-old enjoying more opportunity on offense without a resting Stephen Curry. Thompson had 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, helping his team to a 14-point advantage at the main interval.
The second-half almost became a going through the motions exercise — the Warriors weren’t overly impressive and the young Jazz fought hard, but the result was never in doubt as the visitors were always kept at arms length.
Klay already has 20 points with six minutes remaining in the second quarter đ pic.twitter.com/dANEquZZW5
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 8, 2024
Kuminga was the undoubted positive from a Golden State perspective, using his extraordinary athleticism to impact on both ends of the floor. Thompson had a game-high 32 points, though his efficiency took a hit in the second-half where he went 2-of-8 shooting.
With Curry watching on from the sidelines and Draymond Green’s back issue limiting him to 21 minutes, Chris Paul expertly controlled the offense to finish with 12 points, nine rebounds, four steals and as a +15 in over 35 minutes.
Rookies Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis continued to impress — the former had 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and an absurd one-legged buzzer-beating three, while Jackson-Davis finished with 16 points (8-of-10 shooting), seven rebounds and four blocks in less than 23 minutes.
Golden State shot 53.3% from the floor and 40% from three-point range, while Utah, led by a career-high 27 points from Johnny Juzang on 7-of-8 three-point shooting, shot 47% themselves and 42.9% from beyond the arc.
The Warriors move to a 43-35 record on the season ahead of a crucial matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday that could well determine Play-In seedings.
